3D printing company BCN3D has joined a coalition of other bodies designed to keep PPE flowing for healthcare professionals and other frontline workers throughout the pandemic.
Nicknamed "Project CAR3D," the project brings in various partners and establishments, headed by EIT subsidiary EIT Health to help spread life-saving PPE around Europe where it is needed most.
The coalition was formed owing to the shortage of available PPE products in many sectors which led to innovations to make sure equipment was available for those who needed to it to help stem the tide of the pandemic.
BCN3D will be joined by service technologies company CIM UPD and working in collaboration with Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Barcelona and the University of Barcelona to pool resources and supply PPE across Europe.
BCN3D admitted in a statement that the most prominent challenge in this state of the pandemic is creating enough masks to make up for demand, as they are often not designed for reuse.
The statement also said other, more advanced forms of PPE, such as face shields are also starting to be developed by the team behind Project CAR3D.
The project formed as the first of its kind to harness 3D printing technology for the medical sector to provide protective equipment.
Various 3D printing companies in Europe and beyond have begun using their industrial systems to create PPE and other kinds of medical equipment.
The pandemic appeared to have sparked a wave of innovation, as businesses put their differences aside and unite against a common goal.
The medical sector, in particular, has seen a boom, as many companies have gone beyond masks to look at investing in technology to supply the medical sector in the future, with innovations such as 3D-printed prosthetics.
The crisis has also spurred medical companies to look for alternatives to create safe and cheap ventilators.
BCN3D said that additive manufacturing has proven effective in combatting the high demand for masks owing to the virus, but issues remain in terms of the disparity between the quality of available PPE and regulatory requirements.
This spurred the company to join CAR3D, citing their commitment to making masks that comply with EU regulations.
On the project, CIM president Felip Fenollosa said: "Today we can manufacture high complexity parts with the high complexity CAD and computer simulations tools that exist. High optimised and effective things can be done, and here we have the opportunity to continually improve."
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